Tips for home beautification

MANILA, Philippines - Home accessories, depending on your choosing, can either brighten a dull room or, when ill-advised, become clutter or eyesores.  Not only do they add a little touch of personality, they also contribute to the general ambience of the home. That is why great care must be taken in selecting them.

Observing current trends in accessorizing, such as paint and faux finishes, combinations of texture and materials and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects will certainly give you a fresh perspective on how to decorate your home appropriately, putting together function and aesthetics while harmonizing elements.

 “ID Your Home,”  a lecture series held recently by the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) and the College of Saint Benilde, with the cooperation of SM City North EDSA Interior Zone, takes up accessorizing the home with interior designer Pojie Pambid on its second lecture.

The lecture discussed by Pambid entitled “Accessorizing 101” tackled decorating from a design perspective. Here are some useful tips he shared that will certainly revamp your home beautifully:

• Decorate, decorate, decorate! Decorate every room in the house including halls, stairs, foyer, patios, baths, etc. Make sure your decorations are in line with the motif of your house so that there will be coherence. At the same time, those accessories should be creative enough to distinguish them from other pieces in the house. Original accessories that are functional are highly recommended.

• Set an interesting central piece. Wonder why guests gravitate towards a certain area in your house? It must be the interesting painting hanging on your hallway drawing the attention. Always have one outstanding wall arrangement as a focal point — for added interest, place accessories in unexpected places.

• Simplicity is beauty. Don’t go overboard when it comes to accessorizing your home lest it look cluttered. Resist displaying all your miniatures. Create a lived-in look without making the room overcrowded and confusing.

Hang accessories at eye level.

• Be wary of levels when hanging pieces. Hang most accessories at eye level or below. If in seated position, hang them at seated eye-level.

• They need space, too. It is important to exercise judgment in spacing accessories, not crowded them together so that nothing stands out. Keep small objects whether hanged or on top of the table grouped or clustered. Keep in mind texture, color, shape, balance, size and proportion.

• 3D accessories add fun! For a modern look, go for three-dimensional objects for variety and depth. Clocks, mirrors, plants, plaques and shelves give needed height and length to a room.

• Noting relationships. Note the relationship of accessories to their background. For example, crystal against glass, mirror or steel because of the multiple reflections in direct light. Pewter, silver or copper complements highly polished wood while porcelain and china against velvet or silk. Bright colored pottery complements white walls, adding an extra oomph.

• For tabletop accessories. Remember that glass-top tables or richly grained wood enhance. Tables placed against the wall with a mirror behind that table accents glass and crystal. Round tables with floor-length tablecloths in accent colors of drapes and upholstery are especially useful for photos and similar frames. Leave room for a lamp so your collection is shown to an advantage by down light.

“ID Your Home” is a prelude to “Jak En Poy: Bato, Gunting, Papel, Atbp.: An Interior Design Exhibit of Sustainable Proportions,” the graduation exhibit of the PSID Advanced Class of 2011 in cooperation with the interior zone, which runs from Oct. 1 to 31 at the former Super Sale Club, SM City North EDSA, Quezon City.

“Jak en Poy” showcases 20 different spaces designed in creatively planned solutions. Sustainable interior materials, such as stone, steel, concrete, paper, glass, wood, bamboo, rubber, plastic and clay, are applied to interior design booths that evoke different moods and styles, conscious of the concept of designing for a better world.